The Columbus Crew returns home this weekend to host Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, July 14, at Crew Stadium. It will be “Dollar Night” at the stadium as the ever-popular Bob Evans’ Buck-a-Brat Night and Dollar Draft Night, presented by Budweiser, are combined. All fans will be able to enjoy juicy, full-size Bob Evans Bratwursts for just $1 throughout the game and those of legal drinking age will be able to enjoy Bud and Bud Light drafts for $1 at select locations until the 45th minute.
Saturday’s match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and be televised live regionally in high definition on FOX Sports Ohio, with Dwight Burgess and Duncan Oughton calling all the action and Ashleigh Ignelzi reporting from the sidelines. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com with Neil Sika and John Bluem on the call, and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1, with Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo behind the microphones.
It will be the first of three meetings between the two clubs as the Crew (6-6-4, 22 pts.) looks to bounce back from the 2-1 setback it suffered in Montreal last Sunday, July 8, in which Milovan Mirosevic scored his second goal of the season. Sporting KC, which is tied for first place in the Eastern Conference, brings a 10-5-3 record (33 pts.) into the match. After starting with a seven-game winning streak, Sporting posted a 3-5-3 record in its next 11 games. Most recently, it defeated Montreal 3-1 on July 4, and battled the Houston Dynamo to a 0-0 draw on July 7. SKC has also been enjoying a memorable run in the U.S. Open Cup as it reached the final by defeating the Philadelphia Union 2-0 on Wednesday (July 11), and will face the Seattle Sounders in the final on Aug. 8 at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Kansas City is led by former Crew forward Kei Kamara who has six goals and three assists this season, but the Black & Gold will have its hands full as the team’s goal production has also come from the back with central defender Aurelien Collin scoring three goals and contributing an assist.
The Crew holds the advantage over Sporting KC with a 22-18-6 all-time record. Last season, the teams split the series with the Black & Gold edging KC 1-0 at home on April 16 behind a Robbie Rogers goal, and dropping a 2-1 decision in Kansas City in which Emilio Renteria temporarily tied the score.
The Black & Gold will continue its two-game homestand next week when it hosts the other Eastern Conference co-leader, D.C. United, on Saturday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Sporting KC
Saturday, July 14 – 7:30 p.m. (ET) – Crew Stadium
Regional Television: FOX Sports Ohio
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
Crew Webcast: TheCrew.com (English)
ANDY GRUENEBAUM NAMED TO SOCCER AMERICA’S MIDSEASON BEST XI
Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum continues to garner accolades for the stellar season he is having. Most recently, Gruenebaum was tabbed as the goalkeeper in Soccer America’s Midseason Best XI. According to the famed soccer publication: “The longtime veteran has been peppered with shots…and he’s compiled a 1.06 goals-allowed average and made more saves than any keeper except Matt Pickens of Colorado.”
CREW JUNIORS U-20s FINISH REGULAR SEASON UNDEFEATED
The Crew Juniors Under-20 team, coached by Crew technical director Brian Bliss, closed out the USL Super-20 regular season by winning the Midwest Division with a perfect 7-0-0 record. In the last three games of the season, the CJ 20s defeated Cincinnati’s Kings Soccer Academy 6-1 on July 5, followed by a pair of Michigan club’s – 2-0 over Waza FC on July 7 and 8-1 over Alliance Academy on July 8. The 20s are now qualified for the USL Super-20 Championships in Bradenton, Fla., which are set to begin on July 19.
HEROES LEAGUE PRESENTED BY DONATE LIFE/LIFELINE OF OHIO KICKS OFF
The Heroes League, a unique, no-fee, recreational soccer program designed to serve at-risk youth in the Linden Community kicked off this week at Crew Soccer Foundation Field on the grounds of Crew Stadium. The league serves children ages 5-8 two evenings a week with skills training and games to foster and encourage healthy living and provide positive role models in the community. The Heroes League, which runs through Aug. 8, is part of CSF’s two-pronged approach to build quality youth fields in underserved areas and develop soccer programming for at-risk youth on them.
ANNUAL CREW SOCCER FOUNDATION GOLF CLASSIC IS MONDAY AT PINNACLE
The Crew Soccer Foundation, the club’s charitable arm, will hold its fund-raising golf outing this Monday (July 16) at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City. For more information on the Crew Soccer Foundation Golf Classic, please visit www.thecrew.com/golf.
TICKETS FOR U.S. WORLD CUP QUALIFIER VS. JAMAICA GO ON SALE NEXT TUESDAY
Tickets for the Sept. 11 U.S. National Team World Cup qualifying match vs. Jamaica at Crew Stadium will go on sale to the public next Tuesday, July 17, at 10 a.m. through ussoccer.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, at all central Ohio Ticketmaster ticket centers (including Kroger stores) and the Crew Stadium ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The game, in the Semifinal Round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, will kick off at 8 p.m. Crew Soccer Nation Gold and Black members enjoyed access to special presale opportunities on Monday, July 9, and Tuesday, July 10. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages that include a premium ticket, a custom-made official U.S. National Team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.
ZAC BROWN BAND TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, JULY 13
Crew Stadium will host the renowned country and southern rock group Zac Brown Band on Friday, Sept. 28. Tickets for the show will go on sale this Friday, July 13, at 10 a.m. at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
